North Four Corners News ♦ February 2026

CIP Funding for US 29 Bus Rapid Transit Phase 2

The Montgomery County Council has begun consideration of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027–2032 Capital Improvements Program (CIP), which includes recommendations for funding capital projects and programs for all agencies.  County Executive Marc Elrich submitted his proposed CIP in mid-January.  See the link below.

Read the Proposed CIP

The CIP proposes $115.16 million to make further changes to the Flash Bus Rapid Transit Phase 2 route (BRT Phase 2) on U.S. 29/Colesville Road.  In 2022, the County Council recommended a Dedicated Bus Lane for BRT Phase 2, but only approved funding to create the 35 percent design, which is now virtually complete.

The BRT Phase 2 design recommends significant changes on Colesville Road from the U.S. 495 Beltway cloverleaf to Burnt Mills.  In our area, starting just south of the Beltway cloverleaf and moving north, the changes proposed in the 35 percent design include:

• Near Leighton Avenue, construct a single-lane, curbed north-bound busway in the median for the Flash bus (southbound buses will travel in mixed traffic);
• Expand to a two-lane, curbed busway from the U.S. 495 Beltway to Timberwood Avenue to accommodate moving the Flash bus stations at Four Corners to the middle of the University Boulevard intersection with Colesville Road;
• Return to a single, curbed median lane after Timberwood Avenue with the northbound Flash bus operating in the right curb lane.  The Flash bus curbed median lane will eliminate left turns into and out of the NFCCA and Woodmoor neighborhoods at Lorain Avenue;
• Add three new traffic lights:  two for Woodmoor-only access at Timberwood Avenue and Crestwood Drive and another at Hillwood Drive near Burnt Mills;
• Relocate the Flash bus stations at Burnt Mills; and
• Require a north-bound right turn at the Burnt Mills Avenue traffic light and eliminate the angled right turn from Colesville Road onto Lockwood Drive.

The proposed changes to the Flash bus route can be viewed at the link below.

Read Proposed Changes

At present, BRT Phase 2 does not involve taking any property in the NFCCA community, although some property will need to be acquired in Woodmoor and Burnt Mills.

On 9 February, NFCCA is scheduled to testify at the Montgomery County Council’s hearing on the FY 27-32 CIP.  NFCCA’s testimony will raise the following concerns about the BRT Phase 2 concept:  (1) a two-lane-wide median Flash bus stop at Four Corners will create a traffic chokepoint, which will likely further increase cut-through traffic in our neighborhood; (2) the curbed bus lane will eliminate left turns across Colesville Road to or from Lorain Avenue, which will limit our neighborhood’s vehicle access solely to the Southwood traffic light; and (3) the dedicated bus lane will have limited usefulness as it will not allow all types of public transportation, such as Metrobus or Ride On buses, to use the bus lane.

NFCCA will recommend reconsideration of the less expensive Managed Lane alternative that the county studied, because a dedicated curb-running lane will decrease run time for the Flash bus as well as other types of public transportation.  In fact, the transportation study found that the Managed Lane alternative was faster for the Flash bus, because the curbed dedicated lane requires additional traffic signals along Colesville Road.   ■